Interview with Kiki Hamilton

I'm really excited to have Kiki Hamilton on the blog today. I love The Faerie Ring ... the setting (Victorian London), the characters (Tiki, Reiker, the princes...), the twisty plot...time for me to stop so you can read what Ms. Hamilton has to say...

The cover of The Faerie Ring is gorgeous.  Thank you so much!  I love it too! J What was the cover design process like? Did you have any input in the final design?
 I was very fortunate that my awesome editor, Susan Chang, did ask for my input at the very beginning of the design process, because I know most of the time, authors don’t get to give any input.  I gave her a list of things that I thought were important and some examples of covers I loved and did a few (very poor) mockups of my own.  Then she and the very talented Tor art director, Seth Lerner, took it from there.  And then I had to WAIT six months!!  I was SO THRILLED when I saw the cover because I think it is absolute perfection for the story.  And I’m happy to say that they included everything I asked for, down to the smallest detail! Thank you Susan and Seth!! J

Why Victorian London as the setting? How did you research the Victorian Era for The Faerie Ring?

I loved writing about Victorian London. It is one of my favorite time periods  - such a mix of technological change while at the same time belief in mysticism and the Otherworld was very strong.  I also love the idea of stories from the past slipping through the cracks, the untold story, if you will – the kind that if we all knew  - everything would change.  I did a lot of research online, but I’ve also found some great resource books that talk about life in that specific time period in London and give lots of great details.

I found the shifts in point of view interesting, how did you decide which characters' points of view to write from?
I like reading from two different perspectives and it’s always fun to figure out whose point of view to juxtapose from that of the main character.  It couldn’t have been any of Tiki’s family, as their perspective wouldn’t add any new information, for the most part.  Rieker needed to remain a mystery, so I didn’t want to write it from his POV. Prince Leopold, on the other hand, had a vested interest in the stolen ring and a completely different perspective on the event as well as his view on life and London, so he was a natural pick to share his thoughts.

How do you choose names for your characters?
To be honest, there isn’t a scientific process – it’s more of a gut thing. I knew Tiki’s nickname before I knew her real name. Though I have been known to change names, they usually come easily to me and are one of the first things I know about my characters.

I love hearing about books authors are looking forward to reading. What are 3 or 4 books from your to be read list that you just can't wait to read?
Ohmigosh…the towering TBR pile….I’m starting Amber Argyle’s WITCH SONG next, then Josie Bloss’ FAKING FAITH. I’m also very excited to read Kendare Blake’s ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD  - I’ve heard lots of great things about that one!!


A big thank you to Kiki Hamilton and Tor! For more information on Ms. Hamilton and her books visit her website www.kikihamilton.com. 

Review - The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 27, 2011
Source: Received copy from publisher for review

The Victorian era is one of my favorite settings for books. Mix in a strong heroine; a twisty plot that keeps you on your toes, and a slow simmering romance and the book is sure to be one that I will want to reread over and over. Kiki Hamilton’s The Faerie Ring is one of those books.

Tiki and her “family” have been living in a small abandoned shop by Charing Cross Station picking pockets on the streets of London, stealing just enough money for food and coal. One cold day, Tiki finds herself in the Queen’s palace where she steals a ring. Her plan is to return the ring for reward money. But, when it’s revealed that the ring is more important than Tiki thought- it’s part of a treaty between the Queen and the fey- she realizes that it must be returned to the palace, but how? Soon after, Tiki notices that Rieker, a fellow thief, is following her. He claims to know about the fey and the ring, but can Tiki trust him enough to let him help her with the ring?

Kiki Hamilton transports the reader to 1871 London with her writing. It was easy to slip into Tiki’s world and it felt like I was right there with Tiki throughout all of her adventures. The shop by Charing Cross Station, the bookshop at the train station, the streets of London, and the palace ballroom were all equally vivid and easy to picture as I was reading. The story drew me in and I couldn’t put the book down until I got to the end.

Off all the characters, Rieker was my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I found Tiki to be quite likeable; she was strong, independent and caring. Right from the first scene, I cared about what happened to her. Her main concern was her family – Clare, Toots, Shamus and Fiona and getting enough money for them to be fed and warm. Even after she stole the ring and became a target of the fey, they were still her first priority. How can you not like someone who cares more for others than herself?

But, Rieker, he was a mystery and that made him interesting. Tiki knew he was a thief, but there was something more to him than that. I liked how his story was revealed as the book went on, how little details here and there made me wonder about his past and who he really was. And the scenes where he tells Tiki about his past, even though they were quite sad, were some of my favorites in the book.

 Another thing that I really enjoyed about The Faerie Ring was the romance. It was like a slow burn. Even though Tiki and Rieker have known each other for some time, it took awhile for the romance between them to start.

 
The plot had enough twists to keep me on my toes. The action moved along at a good pace and I found myself wanting to keep reading even though there were other things I probably should have been doing. The fey element was quite interesting; Ms. Hamilton’s fey are definitely not your garden variety faeries. They were vindictive, very focused on their ultimate goals, and a bit evil. I found myself wanting more of the fey in the book!

 
Overall, I really enjoyed The Faerie Ring. Like I said at the start, this is a book that I will definitely reread. I can safely say that this will end up in my top ten of 2011. Plus, I learned that is the first book in a series. I can’t wait to find out more about Tiki, her family and her past in the upcoming books.

 
A mix of historical, paranormal, romance and adventure, The Faerie Ring has a little something for every reader.

Review - Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 14, 2010
ARC Received from Book It Forward ARC Tours
Rating: 4.5 Bookcases

Summary found on Goodreads

WOW! So much smexy hotness in one book, I’m surprised the book didn’t burst into flame!

Frannie is the "rebel" middle sister in a Catholic family. By rebel I mean, she doesn’t go to Catholic school (actually she was asked to leave) and she definitely doesn’t believe in God. After a tragic loss when she was a child, Frannie keeps everyone at a distance and doesn’t believe in love…until Luc Cain enrolls at Haden (Hades) High that is. Luc is as tempting as they come, and Frannie, well she can’t stay away. Then there’s Gabe, a blue eyed, golden boy, who also shows up out of nowhere. Let’s just say there’s a bit more at stake than who Frannie should date.

Personal Demons has a lot going for it: a smart, strong, take no nonsense leading lady, parents that are present and involved in their children’s lives, two awesome love interests, angels, demons, snarky best friends, action, and romance. The story sucked me in from the beginning with Luc’s commentary about going back to another high school and kept me hooked right until the last sentence. The basic premise of good verses evil isn’t new, but Ms. Desrochers put such a unique spin on it that it felt like an entirely new concept.

One of the best parts of Personal Demons is the characters. Frannie is a great example of a girl that has brains and strength, both physical and emotional. But she wasn’t intimidating as a character; you know those characters that are just too perfect, that if they were real people, you might be too intimidated to talk to, totally the opposite of Frannie. She was instantly relatable and it felt like she could be a really great friend (I went to Catholic school all the way through high school, so to me Frannie felt like a long lost school mate). Luc was a tough guy to really pin down. It was clear from the start that he was more than just a demon doing a job and his character arc was the most fun to witness. Gabe, what can I say about Gabe, except that I wish there was more of him. But, seriously, it was easy to see that he was the good guy, who maybe didn’t always want to go by the rules. The secondary characters were just as fascinating as the main three and really helped to fill out the story.

I have to take a moment and talk about Frannie’s family. I love that Ms. Desrochers included a family where the parents are present and seen more than once. Even though they did not have big parts in the story, it was clear that they loved their children and cared what happened to them. Their suspicions about Luc and overwhelming pro-Gabe feelings let the reader know that they were more perceptive than Frannie would have liked them to be. And Frannie’s grandfather was possibly my favorite character in the whole book. His relationship with Frannie was wonderful and it really made her a more complete character.

Throughout the book, Frannie had a few tough decisions to make, one of which was of course the choice between Luc and Gabe. This choice really was more than just the choice of which boy to date. By choosing between the, Frannie was really choosing a side, good or evil. For most of the book she’s pretty much set on one guy (um, yeah not going to tell you who) but the other guy, she still had feelings for him too. She does make a decision at the end of the book, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the rest of the series.

Normally, I’m not crazy about books that have more than one point of view, but having both Frannie and Luc’s points of view really works in Personal Demons. You get to see certain high stakes situations from both sides, plus it’s fun to see into both Frannie and Luc’s heads. But, it also makes me wonder about Gabe and his thoughts, especially towards the end.

Overall, Personal Demons was an excellent book.  I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the next book in the series! If you're into paranormal books or like books with lots of action with some romance, definitely read Personal Demons.  Even if you're not, you should read Personal Demons anyway.